Chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is
usually mild. But an Italian study (University of Verona) was published in the
New England Journal of Medicine (29/01/98) seems to show the severity of
hepatitis A when it occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
The study showed
that the risk of over 40% was possible and that this risk was the occurrence of
fulminant hepatitis with a mortality rate of 35%.
Patients who
developed fulminant hepatitis were not with cirrhosis, so their liver
parenchyma was relatively undamaged.
The reason for
the severity of hepatitis A in carriers of chronic hepatitis C is not well
understood (autoimmune mechanisms).
This kind of
gravity does not seem to be present with chronic hepatitis B carriers.
It is therefore
possible to suggest a practice vaccination against hepatitis A in chronic
hepatitis C carriers.
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